Illinois EPA announces $75,000 grant to assist in restoration of Leclaire Lake

EDWARDSVILLE --- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott visited historic Leclaire Lake today to announce a $75,000 grant to help restore the lake to its original condition.

 

"Improving the quality of our lakes, particularly when they are a vital aspect of a community such as this one, is one of the major priorities of the Illinois EPA, and we are pleased to be able to assist Edwardsville area community leaders in their efforts to move this project forward," said Director Scott.

 

He was joined by State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, Edwardsville Mayor Gary Niebur, and Mark Shashek, chairman of the Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation, also known as Your Community Foundation (www.edwardsvillefoundation.org), all of which have been strong advocates for restoring Leclaire Lake.

 

"I know how much this 115-year-old lake and recreation area means to the community, and it is a top priority of mine to assist restoration efforts, " said Rep. Hoffman, who joined city and Your Community Foundation officials in submitting the project to the IEPA's "Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) Idea Bank."

 

"This grant would not have happened without Representative Jay Hoffman's help.  This grant signals the first of many steps that need to be taken to restore Leclaire Lake so it can continue to be an important asset to a neighborhood that is a real historical jewel for Edwardsville and the surrounding communities.  This grant makes that possible," said Mayor Niebur.

 

"This grant to help Leclaire Lake is another example of how people can use Your Community Foundation for worthwhile projects in Edwardsville and other surrounding communities," said Mark Shashek, Foundation chairman.  "I hope the Foundation's role in this effort will benefit everyone who uses Leclaire Lake and Park."

 

The grant through Illinois EPA is from the State Special Projects Fund that receives designated environmental enforcement penalty money such as those for "Supplemental Environmental Projects" that benefit local environmental projects. A few years ago, IEPA launched an on-line "SEP Bank" in which individuals and organizations could submit ideas for worthwhile projects to receive future funding. 

 

"The submission of the Leclaire Lake Project shows the SEP Bank can be a valuable resource for getting additional funding of projects that benefit citizens at the grassroots, even in the tight fiscal times we have been going through," added Director Scott.

                                                         

The grant announced today will go into the fund established by the Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation to accept contributions for labor, materials, equipment and landscaping to restore Leclaire Lake to its original condition.

 

In 1979, Leclaire Lake was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Leclaire Historic District's designation.  N. O. Nelson founded the original Village of Leclaire in 1980 as a utopian industrial community.  Victorian, Queen Anne, Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Classical homes, an academy and the industrial complex, lake and park remain virtually intact.  The former N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Co.'s buildings are currently being restored and converted into classrooms by Lewis and Clark Community College and Edwardsville High School.

 

The lake, however, has suffered from siltation and bank erosion that has required the city Parks and Recreation Department to post warning signs about the steep banks.  If nothing were done, the lake eventually would no longer be suitable for swimming, fishing, boat riding and skating in winter.  The lake is so shallow now that it can be waded across from west to east.

 

-30-